Personal hygiene habits typically include a means for reducing human body odors. These habits include routine bathing or washing of the body, particularly the axilla, and treating the axilla with compositions, such as antiperspirant or deodorant compositions, to retard odor formation.
Antiperspirants and deodorants generally include an astringent material in a suitable carrier. Astringent materials typically used are metal salts, particularly aluminum and zirconium metal complexes. Exemplary metal salts are disclosed in Plechner, Antiperspirants and Deodorants, 2 Cosmetics, Science and Technology, Balsam and Sagarin, 374-400, 1972; incorporated herein by reference.
Antiperspirant and deodorant compositions can be formulated in a variety of ways, each dependent on the particular ingredients involved. Such formulations include lotions, solid sticks, and creams. Solid stick formulations include gel sticks, which contain a liquid material and gelling agents.
One significant disadvantage of typical gel stick compositions is a tendency of the liquid material to escape or leak from the gel network. This leaking of the liquid material can result in reduced efficacy of the actives, poor gel formation and lower gel stability over time of any gel which is formed. The leaking may also cause processing difficulties at the temperatures and holding times typically encountered during manufacture. Gel stick compositions may have additional disadvantages such as a wet, cold and sticky feel on the skin, skin irritation, and shrinkage and containment problems due to high volatility.
It is an object of the subject invention to provide harder low-aqueous gel stick compositions.
It is a further object of the subject invention to provide low-aqueous gel stick compositions with superior gel formation.